Trust issues

I'm sure whoever's in charge of RAMS would shake their head in disapproval. Kids charging eyes shut headlong into their friends whom we hope will catch them in time before they careen into a wall or stray furniture.

NYeDC is working on trust exercises, very important for building team coordination and group spirit. Although thratre allows individual performers a chance to shine, how brightly anyone can shine depends entirely on everyone involved; backstage, onstage, upstage, downstage, all working together with near telepathic precision to make the whole production shine.

Trust is being able to cope with the deprivation of one or more of our senses, keeping faith that our teammates are there to offer strength where we are weak and vice versa.

The trusty 'mirror' exercise. No one leads, no one follows. Movement is both spontaneous and shared between two dynamic, yet coordinated bodies.

Friends bear each other's weight. Friends don't let their friends fall down. Kids haven't quite figured out the point of this game: support is mutual. Instead of one supporting the weight of the other, both should be able to take on an off-balance position such that gravity acting on one falling body itself provides the force to prevent the other body from falling. Ok, complicated concept.

One thing I like that's different about our training programme this year is the discipline of updating a journal of personal reflections after each session. It's a great way to focus on the various random thoughts we've had while doing the exercises or during rehearsals, and coalesce them into useful and coherent ideas before they are forgotten like so much smoke in the wind. Wonder why we never thought of doing it before?

In other news, Mengs has arranged a crew of staff -- including yours truly -- to dragon dance in celebration of CNY at this Friday's event. I settled for third segment from the head. I don't think any of us were prepared for the dragon to have to swoop so vigorously. It always looked easy and graceful when other people do it. Our respective spouses and girlfriends are busy massaging our aching shoulders as we speak...